Tehran Prosecutor Accuses 'Enemy' of Exploiting Labor Protests

Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi, the Tehran prosecutor, has accused the 'enemy' of believing that by focusing on certain labor and professional protests, it can create 'grounds for confrontation with the regime.' According to the Tehran Public and Revolutionary Prosecutor's website, Jafari Dolatabadi stated on Tuesday, December 13, that the enemy 'has tried to pursue its goals through such movements since the beginning of the revolution.' The Tehran prosecutor noted that since the Islamic Revolution of February 1979, what he describes as hostile actions by enemies against the Islamic Republic of Iran have continued at various levels and dimensions, adding, 'These hostilities have sometimes been accompanied by military methods, in the form of overthrowing or through economic sanctions, and one of the current methods of the enemy is to fuel discontent and certain protests.' This Iranian judicial official added, 'Some are trying to portray every gathering or protest as political and against the regime, and in this way, ride the wave of some discontent.' Previously, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic, in May of this year, before International Workers' Day on May 1, referred to what he called 'the loyalty and steadfastness of the working community towards the revolution and the Islamic regime over the past 37 years,' stating, 'Despite livelihood problems, workers have never paid attention to anti-revolutionary propaganda and have not stood against the regime...' Typically, officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran have spoken about the support of workers and other underprivileged sectors of society for the government despite economic difficulties since the victory of the Islamic Revolution in February 1979. Such statements are made in a context where, according to Hossein Zolfaqari, the Deputy Minister of Security and Law Enforcement of the Ministry of Interior, social, labor, and professional protests in Iran have increased by '69 percent' in the last three years. This Ministry of Interior official stated on December 12, 'People have come and expressed their opinions easily, but we have not had any social crises that turned into security issues.' The Deputy Minister of Security and Law Enforcement added that 'these protests have been well managed' and that 'these protests reflect the demands of the people.' Despite Hossein Zolfaqari's statements, reports of security and judicial confrontations with labor protests in recent years have been published, and several workers and labor activists have been arrested by the judiciary in various cities of Iran and sentenced to prison or even flogging. One of the confrontations that received widespread attention in Iran was the flogging of 17 dismissed workers from the Agh Dareh gold mine in West Azerbaijan Province. Following widespread protests from labor organizations against the flogging of the dismissed workers, the government spokesperson and the Minister of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare apologized. However, Gholamhossein Mohseni Ejei, the spokesperson for the judiciary, stated, 'If we adhere to the law, it is in everyone's interest, and if a worker also commits an offense, a framework must be determined for that.' A few months ago, according to the ILNA news agency, a court in Bafq, Yazd, issued a suspended sentence for nine workers related to the labor protests of 1993. These workers were sentenced to prison and flogging on charges such as 'disturbing public order and comfort,' but their defense lawyer has appealed this ruling. Alongside this issue, the police and security agencies have confronted labor and professional protests. The latest example of these confrontations was the attack on drivers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company on December 5, which resulted in at least three injuries and the temporary detention of several of them. This confrontation has led to criticism from several members of parliament, two members of the Tehran City Council, and several labor organizations. Additionally, two labor organizations in Sweden have protested against the confrontation with the drivers of the Tehran and Suburbs Bus Company.